Lorenzo Thomas
August 31, 1944 - July 4, 2005
“[Poetry] says something that’s true. It points people to truth.” - Lorenzo Thomas
Courtesy of Furious Flower Archive.
Who Was Lorenzo Thomas?
Lorenzo Thomas was a Panamanian poet belonging to the New York School and Umbra Poets. He relocated to the Bronx at a young age and was raised in a household of activists which likely inspired the subject of his work. He joined the navy and served in the Vietnam War which impacted his political and personal writings as he would later go on to write about the Vietnam War.[1] Thomas identified with African American and African culture. Often addressing the civil rights movement and Vietnam, his poetry reveals his familiarity with Black music, surrealism, contemporary American popular culture, and cinema, as well as empathy for the underprivileged. The poet John Ashbery commented on his work, "Thomas’s poems have a graceful New York School nonchalance that can swiftly become a hard and cutting edge when he writes of the African American experience.”
Memberships in the New York School and Umbra Workshop
The New York School:
Thomas’s poems retain the nonchalance associated with the New York School, but they can just as easily become hard and sharp when he writes of the hardships previously faced by African Americans. The Early Crimes Poems retain many of the New York School’s characteristics. In “One Never Knows, Do One,“ Thomas describes how the “dark crevices Burned into [his] flesh [were made] by the clouds.”[1] It suggests that a history of outdoor labor has caused their skin to be darker. The continuous imagery in this collection of poems retains the collage like qualities of other poets, most notably O’Hara. Thomas describes images of a camera slung on a man’s shoulders while he wears a dungaree shirt. He also sets the scene of a foggy day. His casual, conversational lines combine the freedom of the second generation New York School with confident disharmonies.
Lorenzo Thomas (right) in 1994. Courtesy of C.B. Claiborne.
Umbra Meeting, Askia Toure, Lorenzo Thomas, Ishmael Reed, photograph by Alvin Simon, circa 1962.
The Umbra Poets:
The Umbra poets were a collective of young black writers who were excluded from the mainstream white literary establishment. It was a supportive enclave of late-night meetings, and readings that allowed black writers to showcase their talents and express their unique voices highlighting African American experiences and history.[1] As one of the youngest members of the Umbra Workshop, Thomas was able to discover his artistic voice. He wrote that “[The Umbra Poet’s] concern was, basically, for a re-turning of a purely African sensibility and a style that organically developed from that feeling and stance.”[2] Much of the work completed in this society became the basis of the Black Arts Movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
[2] Thomas, Lorenzo. “The Shadow World: New York's Umbra Workshop & Origins of the Black Arts Movement.” The Shadow World: New York's Umbra Workshop & Origins of the Black Arts Movement, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978, pp. 53–72.
"Discovering America Again"
In the eighth stanza of the poem “Discovering America Again," the lines suggest that one’s speech is their right to express themselves, and indirectly because Black people weren’t allowed to freely say what they wanted to say so it slowly led to their destruction. He equates one’s right to speech to one’s ability to breath. This creates a sense of disbelief among readers that in a day and age where many documents guaranteeing the freedom and equality of all, people were still restricted in their actions.
Thomas’ work often noted his observations of the treatment of Black people in society rather than inciting action among his peers. In the sixth stanza of, "Discovering America Again," the speech highlights his observation of racist/hate speech, and the fear it incited in the Black population. He is essentially saying that people may think they know someone, but their speech can transform them into a different person. In his poem “MMDCCXIII 1/2” Thomas describes a current home which was previously a slave quarter. He writes, “Our living room was once somebody’s home/Our bedroom, someone’s only room/Our kitchen had a hasp upon its door.” He shows readers what past conditions were like so people can reflect on the previous conditions of African Americans. From his works, Thomas’ intentions don’t seem as if they are intended to call on people to resist the tension and fight back against the discrimination. His poems allow readers to reflect on the past and how Black people’s current state is still affected by past actions on Black people. Thomas offers a harsh, critical perspective into the past while maintaining a nonchalant attitude.
1966 Interview for Poetry of the Avant-Garde on WNYC with Michael Silverton
In a radio interview between Michael Silverton and Lorenzo Thomas, Thomas read one of his poems with intense passion and emotion which gives some sort of insight into the type of feelings his poems are intended to evoke and the purpose of it. He describes immediate social circumstances from his perspective, elaborating on the hardships of African Americans. Most New York School works were apolitical, and this host who is an accolade of the New York school is puzzled by how he should interpret Thomas’ art. Lorenzo Thomas’ early works conformed to the New York School, but the more political ones, for example "MMDCCXIII 1/2" are less conformative.
In the interview, Silverton said, “Strong components of your poetry are a flat outright protest. I can sense an outraged feeling absent in other people’s work."[1]
Attributing an outraged feeling to Lorenzo’s work is a strong accusation and Lorenzo proceeded to defend his work by saying, “What may sound like outrage is a way at getting at the truth of the situation that exists today in the social senses.”
Silverton goes as far as to suggest that the main topic of Thomas’ poems is race. He asks Thomas, “Would [he] have other material to write about had there not been turmoil between the races?” Thomas responds, “I’d like to think if things were not so terrible I could do what I want.” He thinks it is important to give commentary on the current events in society so they can be brought to light.
Michael Silverton recognizes the uniqueness of Thomas’ artistic style that sets him apart from other New York School poets. Through conversation we see that Thomas was not directly influenced by anyone in the New York School. Silverton says, “Normally it becomes evident that a poet is beholden to a certain voice, but Thomas has a unique comic style.”
Header image courtesy of the Danowski Poetry Collection at Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.